Move round bale with pallet forks?

[BufordBoone]

I let a local guy cut and bale my fields. He is a great guy and needs the hay. I don't need the hay.

He cut and baled (116 round bales) but has run into an issue and has not been able to pick it up yet.

Most of the bales are not in my way but a few are.

I don't have a bale spear.

Anyone ever try moving a round bale using pallet forks? I don't want to damage the bales and I certainly don't want to do something stupid that ends up with a bale damaging my tractor or me if/when it falls off the forks.

Any advice before I trailer over to his place and borrow his bale spear?

 

[LHF2019]

That’s how a lot of people move them. You won’t damage them unless they are wrapped in plastic. Run your pallet fork lightly on the ground firks need to be just wide enough that when you lift the bale is cradled between forks.

All this is assuming your tractor is heavy enough to be moving bales

 

[BufordBoone]

That’s how a lot of people move them. You won’t damage them unless they are wrapped in plastic. Run your pallet fork lightly on the ground firks need to be just wide enough that when you lift the bale is cradled between forks.

All this is assuming your tractor is heavy enough to be moving bales

Thanks. I've got an M7060 and believe it sufficient.

Got a training day coming up and I only need to move them a bit out of the way.

Thanks, again!

 

[Hay Dude]

Thanks. I've got an M7060 and believe it sufficient.

Got a training day coming up and I only need to move them a bit out of the way.

Thanks, again!

You could just roll them out of the way if you are concerned with ripping the net wrap.

 

[BufordBoone]

You could just roll them out of the way if you are concerned with ripping the net wrap.

Unfortunately, they need to be moved sideways. Guess I could turn them then roll them though.

Think I'll try one and, if it messes it up, I'll try the other way.

If he gets his eqpt. fixed in time, the issue will just go away.

Thanks!

 

[anomad]

My last hay farmer didn't even own a bale spear. He just used pallet forks. Guy was also poor as a church mouse and I let him cut the hay for free.

 

[sandman2234]

There is a guy who is cutting the hay on my Dad's property. None of us kids knew who was cutting the hay, but this past week I was up there and found out. Seems Daddy told him he could cut the hay. There was no mention of any sort of payment. (Daddy is 96 years old) I did ask if he would bush hog the other field since it was growing up. I even suggested that with a little work he could expand to hay both fields! With the price of hay and the fluctuations in the cattle market, there isn't a lot of money to go paying for a field to grow hay on.
I will probably need to follow up with the bush hogging but at least I don't have to bush hog the big field that he is cutting hay on. The guy is a neighbor that moved in after I left Arkansas, so I hadn't met him.
David from jax

 

[bmaverick]

Hay prices are all over the map, and so is the quality too.

Having someone hay bale your field is a good help in getting it cleaned a few times a year.

 

[sandman2234]

Hay prices are all over the map, and so is the quality too.

Having someone hay bale your field is a good help in getting it cleaned a few times a year.

I will probably be heading towards Beloit next week. I have a trailer that needs to go to Janesville. I work for a company based there.
David from jax

 

[IndyIan]

Just set them at or near full width so that you don't have to put them between the ground and the bale. The forks should be wider than the bales "contact patch" on the ground.